Nevada State Senator Wants Medical Marijuana for Pets

With all the progress made for medical marijuana advocates, one of our closest companions have been left out of the conversation for the most part. Our pets. They suffer from the same amount of diseases and ailments as we do, often some breeds will have an even higher likelihood of experiencing a lifetime of illnesses. This week, though, a State Senator in Nevada has addressed this need for extending the benefits of medical marijuana to our furry friends.

Democratic Senator Richard Segerblom put a bill proposal out on Tuesday that would grant access, with the blessing of a veterinarian, of medicinal marijuana to animals in cases of debilitating illnesses like glaucoma, pain management for chemo and epilepsy, among others. Marijuana would probably be given in an edible or sugar-water solution that dogs and cats will lap up.

The specifics on what strains of marijuana and what type of dosages will be subscribed haven’t been hammered out yet, but there’s no question that this type of relief should not be delayed for animal-lovers out there. Our pets are our family members. These little ones deserve access to any advancement in modern medicine that we can enjoy, as long as the science behind it says so.

And, not to waste an opportunity to improve existing legislation, Segerblom’s bill also includes amendments to medical marijuana usage with humans, like improved dispensary law and DWI charges for driving with pot in their system.

Nevada needs to catch-up to the other more recent states that have decriminalized marijuana. There’s room for improvement in many areas and hopefully this bill gets the support that is needed.

There will be opportunities for the community to come out with their pets and speak on the need for this bill to pass and how the quality of their lives and their pets’ lives will be changes greatly because of a little magical plant. After the average person gets passed the initial comedic reaction to pets getting high and dogs hitting bongs, a very real and powerful realization becomes clear: if we have the capability to make the lives countless animals better and improve their short stay here on Earth, then what reason is there to oppose this legislation? They’re Man’s Best Friend, so let’s be theirs and show them we care just as much.